Mail bag



Patented Jan. 9, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE:

' 1 z,1ss,ss4' I I II VYMAILBAG I George c. Lester, Bufialo, N. Y.Application September 17,1938, Serial No. 230,467

icn'mi. (01. 150-11) This invention relates to improvements in bags of,the kind which are closed by draw. cords, or straps, and proposes a bagwhich, although not necessarily limited to such use, is characterized byfeatures which render it of particular utility in connection with thehandling of mail, particularly parcel post; I

Mail bags which are nowin use have draw cords which are threaded in andout through a series of openings formed in the side walls of thebagsaround their open ends, alternate sections of the cords being located onthe outside of thebags while the intermediateconnecting sections arelocated on the inside. Such draw cords have the objection ';that when abag is turned upside down and emptied in conventional manner itfrequently happens that a piece of mail will be caught between aninterior section of the draw cord and the side wall of the bag and bemutilated as an incident to the further efforts which are madeinstances, be inadvertently'overlooked and permitted to remain in thebag.

The principal object of the present invention is to overcome the aboveobjections, this object contemplating a' novel design ofv bag whereinprovision is made for accommodating the draw cord, or strap, catedwholly ext'eriorly of the bag.

A further object is toprovide for the reinforcing of those portions ofthe bag which carry the draw cord, or strap.

J The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bag embodying the features of theinvention. Figure 2 is a section through thebag and is taken along line2- -2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2.

The bag, which is preferably of conventional shape, may be made of anysuitable material. In

accordance with the invention it is formed with a series of lengthwiseextending fin-like flaps 5 which are produced by gathering the materialof the bag to form pleats or folds and stitching the inner edges of thelatter as indicated at 6. The flaps 5 are preferably triangular inshape, their upper wide ends being conterminous' with the open end ofthe bag and their lower ends merging and opening the'bag'i intentionalopening of to remove it or, in some,

in such a manner that it is 10- open is unobstructed;

' strengthen the sides I cried.

tional manner by eyelets 9. The flaps 5 may be 5 v spaced around the bagin any desired manner. As shown, and preferred, however, the two flapswhich-carrythe terminal portions of the draw cord are'formed alongsideone another in order to ,facilitate manipulation of the cord in closing10 Itistunderstood, of course, that the endsof the cord-5 may carry aconventional lock for preventing accidental or unthe bag when it hasonce been closed. Suitable openings Ill (reinforced by 5 eyelets ll,.'ifdesired) may be formed in the bag between the flaps 5, whereby to enablethe bag to be hung upon the hooks of: racks or other supporting means.

noted that the mouth the body portion of the bag. It will be apparent,therefore, that, as a result of this and 25 the fact that the draw cordis located wholly eX- I teriorly of the bag, the mouth of the latterwhen I Hence the possibility of a pieceof mail or other articleremaining in the bag or being mutilated when the bag is emptied I isprevented.

have further advantages. They of the bag and, owing to their doublethickness, they reinforce those portions of the bag which are acted uponby the draw cord when the latter is tightened or loos- I I claim as 1m?invention:

A bag having excess material at'the month end formed into a series ofspaced folds or pleats 40 which extend lengthwise of the bag, the inneredges of said folds or pleats being substantially collinear with thesidewalls of the body portion of the bag and being permanently securedtogether so that they cannot separate when the 5 bag is opened, openingsformed in said flaps outwardly of said edges and a draw element threadedthrough said openings which is adapted to be loosened toiopen the bagandtightened to close it. I

GEORGE C. LESTER.

